EarthWorm Jim (Game)
Earthworm Jim is a run and gun platform video game starring an earthworm named Jim in a robotic suit who battles evil. The game was developed by Shiny Entertainment, released for the Mega Drive/Genesis in 1994, and subsequently ported to the SNES, Game Boy, Game Gear, Sega Master System, and years later, the Game Boy Advance. Upon its release it was praised for its detailed animation, polished gameplay and surreal humor; it became the first game ever to receive a 100% review in GamesMaster magazine. A special edition of the game was released for the Sega CD which features a Red Book audio soundtrack, improved graphics and expanded levels, as well as an exclusive level "Big Bruty", and an even further enhanced version with redrawn, 256 colour graphics and an Earthworm Jim desktop theme, as well as all the Sega CD improvements, was released for Microsoft Windows 95. The Sega Mega Drive/Genesis version was released through Wii's Virtual Console service in Europe on October 3, 2008,and in North America on October 27, 2008.Gameloft released a version for the iPhone and Symbian S60 Devices; and has developed an HD version for Xbox Live Arcade,PSN and WiiWare. 'Storyline' The storyline involves many colorful characters. Jim himself (a character designed by Doug TenNapel) was at first an ordinary Earth earthworm who did very earthworm-like things such as flee from crows and eat dirt. One day, in the space above Earth, the evil Psy-Crow had cornered a rebel spaceship pilot who had stolen an "Ultra-high-tech-indestructible-super-space-cyber-suit" built by Professor Monkey-For-A-Head. The suit had been commissioned by the evil Queen Pulsating, Bloated, Festering, Sweaty, Pus-filled, Malformed, Slug-for-a-Butt so that she could further conquer the galaxy. In the ensuing space fight, the suit was dropped to Earth, and fell on Jim. By a stroke of luck, Jim managed to land within the collar of the suit, and it ended up mutating him into the large and intelligent (at least by earthworm standards) superhero he is today.Jim overhears Psy-Crow talking to Queen Slug-for-a-Butt about the scorch marks left by the suit and her plans for her sister, Princess What's-Her-Name. Jim thus sets out to rescue the princess, fighting many enemies along the way, such as Major Mucus, Chuck and Fifi, Evil the Cat and Bob the Killer Goldfish, although none of this is apparent throughout the game. Gameplay The gameplay of Earthworm Jim could be considered bizarre. Launching cows, using Jim's head as a whip, and other bizarre twists add to the insanity. The player controls Jim at all times of the game. In the level sections, Jim can run, use his gun, swing on hooks, and get powerups for the blaster. The in-between levels called Andy Asteroids place Jim in a semi-3D race against the evil Psycrow. If Psycrow wins, then Jim must fight him in one-on-one combat in order to progress. Throughout the game were many added features, such as mini-bosses whose weaknesses Jim would need to find through trial and error. Crystal treadmills, underwater pod races, and other related things also appear. 'Levels' thumb|222px|right|New Junk City. New Junk City A play on the film title New Jack City, the opening level is a massive junkyard filled with trash. It is almost entirely lined with car tires and features a hidden toilet, several trophy moose heads and a conveyor belt with bowls of goldfish, bells, old television sets, faucets and construction site cones. The level also includes possibly the most memorable and famous feature about the Earthworm Jim series: launching a cow into the stratosphere, one that would later haunt Jim. Near the beginning of the level, he comes across a fridge hovering above one end of a tree branch, which has a cow standing above the other end. He cannot progress until removing the fridge from the crane that holds it in the air. Upon whipping it or bumping his head into it 3 times, the fridge is released, landing on the branch and launching the cow into the sky. With a loud moo, a "Cow Launched" title flashes momentarily onto the screen and the level continues. Enemies in the level include worm-hungry crows that snap at Jim's head, junkyard guard dogs that try to eat Jim and two bosses. The mini boss is an animated garbage can with tires for arms and legs and a desk lamp for a head. It has two forms: car mode and human mode. While in car mode and stationary, it shoots anvils at Jim. It can also roam back and forth in an effort to run Jim over. In human form, it stands like a person stomping the ground, causing tubas to fall from the sky. When first encountering the mini boss, a large "Warning" title flashes on the screen to prepare the player. And when he is defeated, a "Very Cool" title flashes. The final boss is the owner of the junkyard, Chuck. He uses an electronic clothesline with a large magnet to dump tubas onto Jim. But, rather stupidly, he also provides wooden crates that Jim can use to attack him, and when he does, Chuck regurgitates dead fish. What the Heck? thumb|300px|right|What the Heck?As the name implies, this level takes place in a Hell-like planet called Heck. Jim must make his way through Hellspawn and eternal flaming damnation before he can progress to the next level. Assistance is provided by green stone-like spheres that are used to transport or elevate Jim to the next area. Enemies include lost souls that resemble floating, dog-like beasts and unscrupulous men in suits (possibly lawyers) who shoot paper from their briefcases. There are also several elements in the environment throughout the level that can harm Jim. These include sharp-pronged spikes, fire and fast-closing gates. Evil The Cat, who can always be seen in the background of the main level, is the boss, antagonizing Jim in several ways. Firstly, halfway through the level, he makes his appearance by blowing up a bomb causing Hell to quake, showering Jim with sharp pieces of stone. Secondly, during the boss sequence, he shoots fireballs at a suitless Jim (how he loses his suit is not explained). When he finally regains his suit, a "Finish Him" sign flashes on the screen, in much the same way as it does in the Mortal Kombat games and the cat literally attacks Jim left, right and centre. Evil The Cat has 9 lives and each must be killed before Jim can progress. The level also includes a mini boss: a snowman who belches fireballs and teleports in and out of the screen by melting and refreezing. 'Down the Tubes' thumb|300px|right|Down the TubesThis level is split into two parts. Both take place entirely underwater in long, twisted, oxygen-filled tubes connecting several rooms. Jim fights his way through various enemies that include pink, floating orbs and two enemies invulnerable to Jim's attacks: a large beast called Number Four who unleashes an awesome punch on his weak worm opponent and small orange cat guards who slam Jim on the ground back and forth. In these levels, there are several giant hamsters that Jim can ride. When he does, the player has control of the hamster and must eat the orange cat guards before they can beat Jim into submission. The main setpiece of these levels includes Jim riding around in a glass, underwater, orb-shaped watercraft. The player must guide the craft through the underwater caverns, avoiding the walls, as each hit will crack the glass and too many will shatter the craft, killing Jim instantly. There is a limited amount of air in the craft, signified by a timer that the player can see in the corner, but there are some oxygen pumps throughout the caverns that increase the oxygen level, giving Jim enough time to get his craft from one safe zone to the next. Part 2 of Down The Tubes, called "Tube Race", was renamed "Pod Race" for the PC release. The boss at the end of Part 2 is Bob the Killer Goldfish. Before Anything But Tangerines in Earthworm Jim 2, this was possibly the easiest boss in the Earthworm Jim series, only requiring Jim to knock the fishbowl over to defeat him. Snot A Problem thumb|300px|right|Snot A Problem A level split in 3 Rounds, Jim comes up against Major Mucus, an evil monster made of green mucus. Together they bungee up and down a deep ravine with cliff walls either side of the screen above a pool of more green mucus where a monstrous alligator-like pet named Mucus Phlegm Brain roams waiting for dinner. The objective is to bump and grind Major Mucus (using either of the action buttons on the control pad) into the cliff faces, stretching thin his snot bungee cord before he does the same and rips apart Jim's rope cord. However, he has two attacks: he too can bump Jim into the wall but he can also spin wildly out of control while bumping Jim for several seconds, tearing his rope even if he doesn't rebound into the wall. The degree of difficulty increases with each progressive round as Major Mucus becomes harder to manoeuvre into the walls. In addition, the Mucus Phlegm Brain becomes an active enemy in Round 2 snapping his powerful jaw as Jim stretches at the bottom of the ravine (he only roams in the mucus pool in Round 1). In Round 3, he swims faster towards Jim and becomes harder to dodge. If he catches Jim in his mouth, it's instant death but if his bite catches Major Mucus, nothing happens. After 3 Rounds dunking his opponent into the pool, Jim progresses to the next level. Level 5 Aptly named, the fifth level is set inside a futuristic-looking laboratory that is home to Professor Monkey-For-A-Head. It is filled with escalators, conveyor belts, electrified orbs and posts, teleporters and metallic walls and floors. This level has the most number of enemies fighting to kill Jim. They include green floating cycloptic aliens that explode into jumping maggots when shot, hopping brains, the Professor's assistant Monkey Professor-For-A-Head and floating eyeballs. The Professor also makes an appearance throwing beakers at Jim. Level dangers include the aforementioned electrified objects, other dangerous machinery and ravines. At one point, Jim enters a cage and is forced to fend off excessive amounts of attacking objects. Level 5 also includes the one other time (apart from the battle with Evil The Cat) where Jim loses his super suit, courtesy of running into several ceiling fansthumb|300px|right|Level 5, and is forced to move as a lone worm. The suit follows on a conveyor belt below, waving frequently at the player and pointing at the neck hole advising Jim where to jump in. The end boss is the Robo-Chicken - half robot, half chicken. It lays explosive eggs and shoots other explosive objects that home in on Jim. By whipping a target, Jim is able to drop an object onto the chicken's head as a form of attack. After several hits, Jim and the Robo-Chicken are teleported to a bottomless shaft lined with spiked walls where they fall endlessly while attacking each other. Jim shoots at the Robot, which exposes a bomb that explodes in its face. After several explosions, the Robo-Chicken is defeated and Jim progresses. Part 2 & 3 of Level 5 were renamed "Naked Worm" for the MS DOS port. Level 5 includes the least well-hidden secret level, Who Turned Out The Lights?. Set almost entirely in the dark, Jim must find his way to the exit doors in the darkness of several rooms, dodging the beady eyes of unidentified monsters with the assistance of the limited lighting generated by spotlights to the boss, the humongous beady eyes of another unidentified beast. It resembles a big cat like a tiger or lion and it is invulnerable to any of Jim's weapons. For Pete's Sake! For Pete's Sakes Set on a distant planet prone to several meteorite attacks, Jim is taking his innocently happy pet dog and best friend Peter Puppy for a walk. But without the assistance of a leash, Jim must guide Peter over ravines thumb|300px|rightand shoot at attacking enemies to make sure that he has a safe stroll through the planet's harsh terrain back to his kennel. However, if Peter should happen to fall or be subjected to an enemy's attack, he will morph into an overgrown purple monster, grab Jim in his mouth, chew him up, send him back to a predefined checkpoint in the level and spit him out, taking a huge chunk of Jim's health with him. He will then morph back into his cute lovable self again and the level will continue. Enemies include shoddy-looking mini UFOs that spin Jim like a top, snake-like weeds that smack Jim and squeeze the life out of Peter, roaming robots that resemble satellites and the aforementioned meteorite attacks that include small, medium and large sized meteorites. As well as taking away some of Jim's health, the enemies distract him from his goal to keep Peter safe, which will result in his monstrous turn. The terrain includes many ravines, which require Jim to whip Peter over, sometimes while still in the air, and several see-saws and spring-loaded platforms that shoot Peter up, back and forward. When Peter makes it to his kennel, Jim has the option of letting him enter, or whipping him over it to continue the level in a much more difficult route. At the end, Jim has no option but to let Peter enter his second kennel where he waves goodbye to his faithful owner. Intestinal Distress! thumb|300px|right|Intestinal Distress!Jim is inside an unidentified body and must fight his way through several enemies to the boss level while navigating through various level-specific obstacles, most of which have no place inside a stomach, just like the enemies. Most of the roaming takes place on intestinal tracks but the level includes tubes, darkness and walls that Jim runs behind. At the end, Jim will confront Doc Duodenum, who has a habit of squirting bile out of his body (though in actuality, he's quite a neat and tidy individual) This level was removed in the SNES version. ButtVille The final level is split into two uneven parts. The first (shorter) part, often referred to as 'Use Your Head', starts at the very top and requires Jim to use his helicopter head technique to float down through a maze of sharp-pronged spikes all the way to the bottom. There are several ways through (the first third of Part 1 has an easy and a difficult route, as does the final third) and the player can choose either way through. The middle section is a wide open space that is easier to navigate. No matter which path Jim takes, thumb|300px|right|ButtVille when he lands at the bottom, he is teleported to the second part of the level. in the Queens lair, Jim fights to the Queen herself. He battles through various enemies, including hives that shoot out endless wasps until they are destroyed, little green bugs tha t dig their way out of the ground and scream incessantly, and a hidden insect who emerges randomly, slicing Jim in half and killing him instantly. He must also swing, jump and float his way through even more spikes that line the level. Towards the end, Jim happens onto a large grub-like surface and the player soon discovers that this is the rear end of Queen-Slug-For-A-Butt. A mini-boss episode ensues in which Jim must whip the absolute rear end of the Queen's butt until she screams and the floor crumbles. Following along to the Queen, Jim has to avoid more enemies and exploding bits of pus that rain down on him until he comes to the Queen herself. Riding along on a snot-covered platform that circles the Queen, Jim must shoot at her and the wasps she conjures up until she explodes in a mess of bones, blood and guts. Andy Asteroids? This levels appears after each of the other levels (although Down The thumb|300px|right|Andy Asteroids? Tubes Part 1 and 2 and Snot A Problem Rounds 1, 2 and 3 occur successively and Buttville is the final level, except for the PC release, which has an extra Andy Asteroids? between Down The Tubes and Pod Race, a.k.a. Down The Tubes Part 2). Jim rides his pocket rocket through an asteroid field in a race against the nefarious Psycrow while dodging asteroids and picking up powerups that protect him or temporarily speed him up. There is a map meter to the left of the screen that tracks the distance between the current winner and loser. Upon winning the race, Jim advances to the next level. However, if he loses, he must engage in a battle on land with Psycrow before he can enter the next level. Each successive level of Andy Asteroids increases in difficulty: fewer protective shields, fewer speed boosters, Psycrow stealing speed boosters and more asteroids. By collecting 50 of the blue orbs, the player receives a can of worms (that is, a continue) Psycrow! This level is only accessible upon losing to Psycrow in any 'Andy Asteroids' level. Jim must fight Psycrow until he chooses to surrender thumb|300px|right|Psycrow! and fly away into the distance. A successful hit against Psycrow involves shooting him and then whipping him while he is dazed seeing stars. Psycrow's only method of attack is to shoot hooks at Jim and to ram into him. With each progressive level of an 'Andy Asteroids' race, a loss requires that Jim fight Psycrow for longer: he must sustain several more hits before he surrenders. 'Reception' Earthworm Jim was awarded Best Genesis Game of 1994 by Electronic Gaming Monthly.Earthworm Jim was rated the 114th best game made on a Nintendo System in Nintendo Power's Top 200 Games list.GameZone's Dakota Grabowski took a look back at Earthworm Jim, and what made the game so appealing. "Back when platformers were the king of genres, Earthworm Jim made its presence known as the “cool kid on the block” by appealing to many demographics. Obtaining a moderate difficulty level and establishing itself with stylish humor, Earthworm Jim was a financial and critical success for Interplay and Shiny Entertainment." Even after 16 years, the game still holds up to the standards of gamers today. "Even though the sequel is the best of the series, the original still is able to stand out on its own. The soundtrack from Tommy Tallarico is a testament to the amazing work that was done back in the 16-bit era. From beginning till the end, Tallarico’s work is a triumph. After multiple playthroughs, Earthworm Jim consistently provides enough charm to fill 10 Grand Canyons." 'Sequels and Remakes' A sequel, Earthworm Jim 2, was released in 1995 for the Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, SNES and PC, and a port was later released for the Game Boy Advance. Although the first title retains the same platforming gameplay throughout most of the game, many of the stages in the sequel feature some bizarre twist or gimmick, requiring the player to adapt to a new control system. For example, one level requires Jim to burrow through dirt using his gun; another is presented as an isometric shoot 'em up; in another the character wears a salamander suit and must be guided through an intestine lined with villi.Two further games, Earthworm Jim 3D (1999, PC, Nintendo 64) and Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy (1999, Game Boy Color), were produced without the involvement of Shiny and were met with mediocre to poor reviews. Earthworm Jim also starred as a fighter on Interplay's Nintendo 64 title, Clay Fighter 63 1/3 in 1997 and the Blockbuster rental, Clay Fighter 63 1/3: Sculptors Cut in 1998. In the original, Jim was a default character, however in the Sculptor's Cut, he was required to be unlocked. Also in the game, he and Boogerman hold a strong rivalry between one another.An enhanced remake of the original Earthworm Jim (with a working title of "Earthworm Jim PSP") was planned for a 2007 release, but was ultimately cancelled.On April 22, 2008, Earthworm Jim 4 was announced, though details are scarce and no solid platform or release date have been revealed. It was later denounced by Tennapel himself that the rumours of Earthworm Jim 4 are untrue, however stated that he still had interest in the future of the series had the opportunity ever come.A remake of Earthworm Jim called Earthworm Jim HD was released by Gameloft for Xbox Live Arcade on 9th June 2010, and one month later for PlayStation Network and WiiWare.A trailer for the game was released on April 19, 2010.Gameloft has ported the original game to the iPhone, iPod Touch, Symbian S60 and Palm Pre.Gameloft's acquisition of the license meant Sega was unable to release the original Genesis version on Xbox Live Arcade as part of its Vintage Classics range. Earthworm Jim was announced for the Nintendo DSi's DSiWare, where it has been released in the PAL region on April 23, 2010 and in North America on May 10, 2010.